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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Mah has a __________ that she wants Leila to taste and to take a jar to Mason as well.

2. What has Mah stacked in a pagoda pattern on top of the television for Leon's arrival?

3. ___________ likes to drive fast, but he always drives safely, which puts Leila at ease during the trip down the peninsula.

4. What does Leila grab in order to try to establish Leon's identity for the benefits he can receive?

5. Frank Jow and all of Chinatown know of the family's ________, which embarrasses Leila.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Zeke so excited about when he pulls up in the white Mercedes where Mason works?

2. What does Leon want to do with his newly received $25 from working in the kitchen at the lunch rush?

3. Why does Leon let Leila take him to him to sign up for Social Security at the start of this chapter?

4. Though she wants to, what is the one thing that Leila does not say to Mason when he gets upset about work?

5. What is the site of where Ona decided to take her life by jumping from the building?

6. What is the secret of Nina that Mah decides to share with everyone for no good reason?

7. Who is You Thin Toy, Leila's favorite of all of Leon's fleabag friends?

8. Why is Mason in a bad mood when he and Leila go to pick up Leon in Vallejo?

9. What does Leila see when she tries to sneak in without seeing or speaking to Mah?

10. What did Leon have to do in order to gain entry into the United States, according to the story Leila has heard 90 times?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

As with any story and the reading of any story, one must ask whether they can trust the narrator to tell them the truth and to help them understand the characters.

Part 1: Why is Leila the best choice to be the narrator of this story?

Part 2: Do you think the readers can trust Leila to tell the story fairly and in an unbiased way?

Part 3: How might the story have changed if it was told from the viewpoint of Mah?

Essay Topic 2

Fitting into the crowd is something that the characters in this story struggle with - some want to fit in and others do not.

Part 1: Why is it so important to fit into the crowd in life?

Part 2: Why do you think it's better to fit into a crowd than to go against it?

Part 3: How do you think the characters in this story could fit into the American society more easily? What might they do in order to fit in?

Essay Topic 3

The suicide in this novel seems to be the one event which pulls everyone together, while at the same time driving them all apart.

Part 1: Why do you think the suicide affects Leon in the way it does?

Part 2: How do you think Leila has been changed by the suicide of Ona?

Part 3: Why do you think Ona decided to kill herself?

(see the answer keys)

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